Chapter 1783
Chapter 1783
Raeleigh sat next to Santiago on the bed, watching the man who still showed no signs of waking up. Seeing Jepherson enter, she hid her left hand behind her back, asking as she looked at him, "Why are you here?"
"Why can't I be?" Jepherson walked to her with a deadpan face and sat next to her, his gaze filled with determination. Silent, Raeleigh shifted her hand out, to which Jepherson went to hold, only for her to evade, saying, "I can still move it. It's fine."
"I'll only know after I take a look at it. Why are you hiding it from me?"
Eventually, Jepherson pulled her into his arms, trapping her, holding her hands behind her back.
Raeleigh did not shed a tear but only rested her chin on Jepherson's shoulder.
Giving a light squeeze on her hand, he coaxed, "Cry if you want to. Let it all out."
Chuckling under her breath, Raeleigh said, "Does it look like I can shed a tear? I've murdered people and done the wicked; I believe I have a ticket to hell after I die." "I'm not afraid of going to hell; I'm willing to go where fate wants me to. I mean, I've sinned, haven't I?"
"But I don't want to drag the people around me down with me, my parents, my loved ones..."
"Nobody said you did the wicked, nor is anyone condemning you to hell. You won't have to worry about going anywhere with me by your side. Even if you were to go to hell, I'd be there before you, preparing for your arrival."
"With me by your side, no one will dare touch you, not even in hell. Trust me."
Raeleigh shook her head. "I never trusted you. I've lost all faith in you."
Hearing that, Jepherson snorted bitterly. "I don't care for anybody else's trust but yours. You are my wife. How can you not believe me?"
Jepherson pushed her away and cupped her face with his hands, calling to her, "Raeleigh..."
Staring deep into her eyes with his fathomless gaze, he continued, "I've disappointed you with a lot of decisions I've made in the past, but not anymore, not this time. I'm indecisive, yet I'm born into a powerful family. This is the biggest sorrow in my life."
"I don't regret being born into such a family; I want the power, but I want you even more." "Trust me one last time. I won't make the same mistakes again."
Raeleigh shook her head. "You and I are not fit to meet in this world; I don't want to live with you ever again. We're like two massive solid boulders. The ship can't carry both of us; one has to go."
"Why throw one when you can throw both?" Jepherson asked.
Then suggested, "Even better, let the boat sink."
With that, he lowered his head to kiss Raeleigh's lips, but she evaded.
"I am already someone else's wife; it's impossible for us ever to be together again. You know this."
"Why are you still lying? Do you think I don't dare to blow up the Green House's gates?"
Jepherson's words got Raeleigh stumped momentarily. He moved his hands away but kept his gaze at her, who was now pale. Staring into each other's eyes, Jepherson smirked and said, "I don't want to be his enemy, so I need a chance to make peace with him. Raeleigh, you are our chance. You are the beginning and the end of him and me."
Raeleigh said, "Why are you doing this?"
"I would let you go if he came before me. But since it's the other way around, I stand my ground."
"You want to fight him to the death?"
"I don't mind if he doesn't want a divorce. You're my wife, the matriarch of the Richards family. You two can't see each other. He can live his life in Green House, and I'll go on with mine here in Capital City. I won't stop him if he wants to see you, but if he wants to take you away, over my dead body."
Resigned, Raeleigh turned her face away and looked elsewhere. She didn't say anything, nor did she have anything to say. There was nothing she could do since he was so hell-bent; she could let fate decide her future.
But she wasn't sure if she could even survive today, let alone the future.
As Raeleigh sat, deep in thought, Jepherson held her from behind and reached over to undo her buttons before reaching his hand inside, nestling on her shoulder to smell her natural fragrance.
"I don't want to go out. I want to kill!" Jepherson said. Looking over her shoulder at him, Raeleigh wanted to face away when she saw his chiseled yet unyielding face, but he gave her a good pinch, leading her to gasp. Jepherson held her chin, kissed her forcefully, and later went inside her. Raeleigh lost all her strength, unable to even move thanks to his restraint.
There were still people outside Santiago's room. Raeleigh closed her eyes and lay there, resigning to her fate. She wouldn't make a sound no matter who was passing outside. When she was on the verge of moaning, she would just put the covers over her.
Jepherson coaxed, whispering into her ear, "It'll be over in a while."
Raeleigh shot her eyes open and sank her teeth into his shoulder. However, that didn't stop him but only encouraged him further.
Raeleigh rose in the middle of the night and only found Santiago next to her. Sitting up, she looked around to see Jepherson with his laptop, holding a cigarette in his hand and a glass of wine next to him.
At that, Raeleigh got out of bed and went to him.
The ashtray was filled with cigarette butts. When Raeleigh went over to Jepherson, he happened to be snuffing the one in his hand in the ashtray. He then took a swig of wine and continued to read what was in front of him. As he was so engrossed, he didn't realize Raeleigh had woken up. It wasn't until he sensed a pair of eyes watching him that he saw her sitting next to him.
"Goodness, why didn't you make a sound?"
Jepherson looked over at her and closed the
laptop.
Raeleigh wasn't an idiot; she knew clearly what he was reading. If she wasn't mistaken, he was reading about nerve transplants.
"I saw it; don't bother hiding. I won't do it."
With that, Raeleigh made her way to the bathroom, Jepherson following right behind, saying, "I will see to it whether you're willing or not. You don't have the final say in this."
Looking at Jepherson with a hint of sadness in her eyes, she stated, "If you do that, I will kill myself right in front of you."
Jepherson gnashed his teeth. "No one can threaten me."
"But I've always managed to. From the day you were unable to step into Waverly Village, from the day you had to pretend to be Callis, I've already successfully threatened you. You just don't want to admit it. This means nothing to me, of course, but I will still do it. Do you know why?"
Glaring at her, Jepherson asked, "Why?"
"You've thrown your heart away. Your unwillingness to accept reality has made you throw your heart away."
With that, Raeleigh entered the bathroom, and Jepherson wanted to follow, only for her to stop him. "What? Can't I even have a moment to
myself?" Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
Jepherson fell silent.
Raeleigh slammed the door shut for him to say at the door, "I want to take a shower."
"What for in the middle of the night?" Raeleigh raised her voice.
Jepherson's face sank, and he didn't dare say another word until Raeleigh reemerged.
Opening the door, Raeleigh stared at Jepherson with a deadpan face and a firm attitude. "Forget about finding Austin. You'll only find the place empty when you get there. We're all busy now. I'll deal with Stuart's matters; I also hope you won't cross the line and do anything I don't like."
"Are you done? I'm sleepy!" Jepherson said out of the blue. Raeleigh went back to bed and looked at him. "This is my room. Sleep somewhere else."
Hearing that, Jepherson immediately shut up and went back to the bed, switching off the lights, snuggling next to her.